Kelso vs Laffing Waters

Kelso is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 41 in Laffing Waters. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Kelso, about half of households are couple families. In Laffing Waters, the large majority of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Laffing Waters: a median of $1.34 million, against $810,000 in Kelso, though rent is higher in Kelso. On these figures, Kelso tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Laffing Waters suits couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Kelso

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (15 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • But Laffing Waters is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 67%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Kelso has cheaper houses ($810,000 vs $1,336,000)
  • Laffing Waters leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 24%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Laffing Waters

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $360/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Kelso

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (42/100 vs 10/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (170 min vs 183 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (203.5 km vs 211.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Kelso

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (42/100 vs 10/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Kelso

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (11.9% vs -12.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Kelso and Laffing Waters drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Kelso Laffing Waters
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Kelso Laffing Waters
Walkability 42 / 10
Kelso — Walkability: 42/100 Laffing Waters — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 15 / 23
Kelso — Safety: 15/100 Laffing Waters — Safety: 23/100
Low fire risk 100 / 72
Kelso — Low fire risk: 100/100 Laffing Waters — Low fire risk: 72/100

Demographics

Kelso has more residents (10,039 vs 98); Laffing Waters has higher household incomes ($118,820 vs $90,324).

Kelso Laffing Waters
Population 10,039
+99% vs other
 98
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +11.9% -12.5%
Median age 36 41
Median household income $90,324/yr $118,820/yr
+32% vs other
Median weekly rent $360/wk
+17% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kelso Laffing Waters
0-4 6.9% / 3.1%
Kelso — 0-4: 6.9% Laffing Waters — 0-4: 3.1%
5-14 15.6% / 18.4%
Kelso — 5-14: 15.6% Laffing Waters — 5-14: 18.4%
15-19 7.0% / 11.2%
Kelso — 15-19: 7.0% Laffing Waters — 15-19: 11.2%
20-24 5.9% / —
Kelso — 20-24: 5.9% Laffing Waters — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 13.0% / 13.3%
Kelso — 25-34: 13.0% Laffing Waters — 25-34: 13.3%
35-44 12.0% / 5.1%
Kelso — 35-44: 12.0% Laffing Waters — 35-44: 5.1%
45-54 12.3% / 14.3%
Kelso — 45-54: 12.3% Laffing Waters — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 10.6% / 17.3%
Kelso — 55-64: 10.6% Laffing Waters — 55-64: 17.3%
65-74 8.9% / 11.2%
Kelso — 65-74: 8.9% Laffing Waters — 65-74: 11.2%
75-84 5.5% / 5.1%
Kelso — 75-84: 5.5% Laffing Waters — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ 2.4% / —
Kelso — 85+: 2.4% Laffing Waters — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kelso 45.0% couple families
Kelso — Couple Families: 45.0% Kelso — Lone Person: 28.1% Kelso — One Parent Families: 22.2% Kelso — Group Household: 3.2% Kelso — Other Families: 1.4%
Laffing Waters 78.9% couple families
Laffing Waters — Couple Families: 78.9% Laffing Waters — Lone Person: 21.1% Laffing Waters — One Parent Families: 0.0% Laffing Waters — Group Household: 0.0% Laffing Waters — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kelso 28.4% renting
Kelso — Owned Outright: 32.6% Kelso — Mortgage: 39.0% Kelso — Renting: 28.4%
Laffing Waters 20.6% renting
Laffing Waters — Owned Outright: 38.2% Laffing Waters — Mortgage: 41.2% Laffing Waters — Renting: 20.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Kelso Laffing Waters
New Zealand 0.9% / 4.1%
Kelso — New Zealand: 0.9% Laffing Waters — New Zealand: 4.1%
England 1.4% / —
Kelso — England: 1.4% Laffing Waters — England: not among its largest
India 0.6% / —
Kelso — India: 0.6% Laffing Waters — India: not among its largest
Philippines 0.5% / —
Kelso — Philippines: 0.5% Laffing Waters — Philippines: not among its largest
Scotland 0.4% / —
Kelso — Scotland: 0.4% Laffing Waters — Scotland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.1%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Kelso Laffing Waters
Certificate III & IV 18.0% / 18.4%
Kelso — Certificate III & IV: 18.0% Laffing Waters — Certificate III & IV: 18.4%
Bachelor Degree 8.9% / 17.3%
Kelso — Bachelor Degree: 8.9% Laffing Waters — Bachelor Degree: 17.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.3% / 3.1%
Kelso — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3% Laffing Waters — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / 4.1%
Kelso — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% Laffing Waters — Postgraduate Degree: 4.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / —
Kelso — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Laffing Waters — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kelso 92.6% houses
Kelso — Houses: 92.6% Kelso — Townhouses: 6.3% Kelso — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Laffing Waters 100.0% houses
Laffing Waters — Houses: 100.0% Laffing Waters — Townhouses: 0.0% Laffing Waters — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Kelso Laffing Waters
Median house price $810,000 $1,336,000
Median unit price $280,000 —
Median land price $410,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 37 days
from 135 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Laffing Waters has more rural and farming land (88% vs 58%).

Kelso Laffing Waters
Rural and farming 58% 88%
Residential 23% 9%
Industrial 9% 0%
Parks and recreation 7% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Kelso Laffing Waters
New dwellings approved 177
across Bathurst
same for both
Approvals change year on year -23%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Kelso Laffing Waters
Houses 4.0%
$655/wk on $859K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Kelso Laffing Waters
House price Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Income Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Schools Higher than 4% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 55% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 71% of NSW —

Liveability

Kelso is more walkable (42 vs 10).

Kelso Laffing Waters
Grade C —
Score 34/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Laffing Waters carries more bushfire risk (28 vs 0).

Kelso Laffing Waters
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
28/100
Crime High
85/100
 High
77/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 9
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Kelso Laffing Waters
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Kelso

  • Denison College of Secondary Education, Kelso High Campus Government · Secondary at peers
  • Holy Family Catholic Primary School Kelso Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Kelso Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Laffing Waters

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Kelso Laffing Waters
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 15 0
Childcare 6 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Fuel stations 6 0
Waterways 42 0

Mobility

Laffing Waters sits further from the CBD (211.7 km vs 203.5 km).

Kelso Laffing Waters
Walkability score 42/100 10/100
Distance to Sydney 203.5 km 211.7 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 170 min 183 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2795
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 2795
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Kelso Laffing Waters
Car (driver) 79.8% / 90.9%
Kelso — Car (driver): 79.8% Laffing Waters — Car (driver): 90.9%
Worked from Home 11.6% / 9.1%
Kelso — Worked from Home: 11.6% Laffing Waters — Worked from Home: 9.1%
Car (passenger) 6.3% / —
Kelso — Car (passenger): 6.3% Laffing Waters — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 1.7% / —
Kelso — Walked Only: 1.7% Laffing Waters — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 0.3% / —
Kelso — Bicycle: 0.3% Laffing Waters — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (90.9%).

Setting

Kelso Laffing Waters
Elevation 683 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 737 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Kelso Laffing Waters
Connectivity score 78/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 61%
4,953 premises
 0%
49 premises

Climate

Kelso Laffing Waters
Annual rainfall 644 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 1.2°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Kelso Laffing Waters
PM2.5 5.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Kelso Laffing Waters
Average residential rate $1,301/yr
same for both
Council Bathurst
same for both

Federal electorate

Kelso Laffing Waters
Division Calare
same for both
Member Andrew Gee
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kelso Laffing Waters
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kelso

Family Regional Centre River

Laffing Waters

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Kelso

Kelso vs Bathurst Kelso vs West Bathurst Kelso vs Eglinton Kelso vs Raglan Kelso vs Gormans Hill Kelso vs White Rock

Other comparisons with Laffing Waters

Laffing Waters vs Eglinton Laffing Waters vs Peel Laffing Waters vs Forest Grove
Full data on Kelso Full data on Laffing Waters
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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